209 News

GALT RESIDENTS FAVOR CASINO: There was a lot of love for the Wilton Rancheria Indian Tribe and their casino proposal Tuesday evening at the Galt City Council meeting.

Galt residents stood up in support for the 2,000-plus jobs the casino would bring, the tax base funding that could go towards more police officers, better schools and infrastructure improvement.

Council members also seemed to support the new business. They wanted to see the reports come in over the next few years but were unanimous in their support of the casino.

Only two people spoke in opposition of the casino; one felt slighted by the tribe, the other didn’t want to see the small farm community changed by a big casino and the increased traffic it would bring.

The casino plans is still in its infancy stage. It will be at minimum five to seven years before anything is built north of Galt and south of Arno Road.

Tribal leaders said they would like to start construction in 5 to 7 years.

BOY KILLED BY CAR DRIVEN BY FATHER: LODI - In what Lodi Police say appears to be an accident, a 3-year-old boy was killed by his father Wednesday afternoon.

Officer Jimmy Pendergast says the child was struck by a car driven by his father shortly before 11:30 a.m. He was rushed to the hospital with “severe” head injuries, where he later died.

Officers say the collision appears to be an accident, though the accident is still under investigation.

THREAT AT MODESTO HIGH: MODESTO – If you were standing in front of Modesto High School at 10:00am, just before fourth period, you would have seen an exodus of students and parents leaving the school.

The reason for the midday departure is because a student found a threatening note at the school Monday evening, according to Modesto City Schools spokesperson Becky Fortuna.

Fortuna couldn’t say what was written on that note because it’s still under investigation, but anonymous sources said the note threatened a shooting during fourth period.

Even though Modesto Police determined the threat was not credible the district took it seriously.

For the students who stayed classes ran like normal.

Even though security will be scaled back today, the district wants parents to know there is always some form of security.

POLICE LOOK INTO MURDER: MODESTO — Modesto Police are looking into the murder of man who was dropped off at the hospital, dying from a gunshot wound.

Officers showed up at the Doctor’s Medical Center where the 20-year-old man was dropped off shortly before midnight. That man was later identified as Patterson resident Eddie Hernandez. He eventually died from his wounds.

Later, authorities learned that Hernandez was shot near Butte Avenue and Denver Street in south Modesto.

With that area being in the jurisdiction of the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, deputies took over the investigation and also showed up at the hospital.

After investigating throughout the early morning hours, detectives found that one of the people who took Hernandez to the hospital is a documented gang member. The person has reportedly not been cooperating with investigators.

Authorities now believe that the shooting is gang related.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call detectives at (209) 521-4636.

HIGHWAY 4 FATALITY: STOCKTON - A three-vehicle crash on Highway 4 in Stockton claimed the life of a woman on Wednesday morning.

According to officer James Smith of the California Highway Patrol, the crash occurred around 6 a.m. when a woman in her 50s lost control of her yellow Chevy Corvette and became disabled in the number one lane.

A Ford F-150 and Chevy Tahoe SUV were approaching eastbound on Hwy. 4 when one of them struck the Corvette, said Smith.

CHP officers speculated that the force of the impact killed the woman, but the official cause of death would be determined by the coroner, Smith said.

One other person was injured in the wreck, but no information was provided on that person's condition or identity.